Emblem of the Ramakrishna Order

Shown above is the emblem of the Ramakrishna Order, with which the Vedanta Society is spiritually affiliated. The emblem was designed by Swami Vivekananda, the founder of our Society, and it depicts the four great spiritual paths: unselfish action, represented by the waves; love or devotion to God, represented by the lotus; knowledge, represented by the rising sun; and the awakening of spiritual power, represented by the serpent. The swan represents the Supreme Self. The idea is that by the union of all the paths the vision of the Supreme Being is attained.

Ramakrishna Order emblem on the Ramakrishna Temple at Belur Math, India

Monthly Reading

It is only work that is done as a freewill offering to humanity and to nature that does not bring with it any binding attachment. Duty of any kind is not to be slighted. A man who does the lower work is not, for that reason only, a lower man than he who does the […]

Individuality is my motto. I have no ambition beyond training individuals up. I know very little; that little I teach without reserve. Where I am ignorant I confess it as such, and never am I so glad as when I find people being helped by Theosophists, or Christians, or Mohammedans, or anybody in the world. […]

Govinda: “Revered sir, why does the Divine Mother have a black complexion?” Master: “You see her as black because you are far away from Her. Go near and you will find Her devoid of all color. The water of a lake appears black from a distance. Go near and take the water in your hand, […]